Grand Princess Review

[shofer]

Here is my rather long review of our Grand Princess cruise. I included the link rather than put the whole thing on these boards.

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=38338

[PescadoAmarillo]

Thanks for posting your review. Boy, what you went through getting those passports down to FLL! Once again, I felt my BP rising just reading your review.

 

Have to agree with you about Princess's dress codes. We have 2 cruise packing lists, one for Celebrity and one for Princess/RC (which also has informal nights but few dress accordingly). Since all our dressy clothes go in the same rolling garment bag, I can tell you absolute certainty we have to take 17 pounds more clothes for a Celebrity cruise than a Princess cruise. (Not to mention the washers and dryers on Princess!).

[dforeigner]

Thank you for taking the time to write a review.

[Colo Cruiser]

Great review, thanks. :)

[Claudia2002]

Hi

 

We'll be on this cruise March 1! Thanks for the detailed review. Is there anything you wish you had packed (except passports of course!)?

What did you generally see people wearing for informal and formal nights?

 

Thanks!!

[nanalady]

Shofer, Thanks for a great review. I'm so glad everything turned out good for you!!!

 

Do you know if there was a seafood buffet in the Horizon Court on Sailaway night? I know they have one on the :(CB, but have read that they don't do it on the Grand.:( Thanks,....

[DetroitMark]

Thanks for reinforcing for me once again that my leaving the house without making "checking for our passports" the #1 thing on my last minute checklist before everyone relying on me leaves the house ... will immediately disqualify me for being the person who plans anything more complex than a car ride through the park next time and for several vacations down.

 

Useful information I can use.

[Sandytoes]

Thanks for sharing.

[dot73]

That's quite an adventure you had with your passports. Before I travel anywhere, I always have a nightmare that I forgot my ticket and passport. I am so paranoid that I must check my purse at least three times in the taxi to the airport. Glad you had a great cruise. I'll be cruising the Grand on March 29. I have never been on a ship that had more than 1,200 pax. Should be interesting.

[shofer]

Hi

 

We'll be on this cruise March 1! Thanks for the detailed review. Is there anything you wish you had packed (except passports of course!)?

What did you generally see people wearing for informal and formal nights?

 

Thanks!!

 

I actually had a few things I never wore! Big diversity for the ladies for formal nights; everything from nice dresses (my DD & DIL) to long formals. I think we women have a lock on the dress code since we can do just about anything and still look fabulous! I saw fancy shorts outfits w/flowing bottoms that looked like a skirt to capris to slacks and tops the other nights. Let's face it, we do have a lot of options!

 

I never saw anyone in shorts or jeans or other inappropriate dress in the dining room.

[shofer]

Shofer, Thanks for a great review. I'm so glad everything turned out good for you!!!

 

Do you know if there was a seafood buffet in the Horizon Court on Sailaway night? I know they have one on the :(CB, but have read that they don't do it on the Grand.:( Thanks,....

 

NANALADY, thanks for your kind words. No, there was no seafood buffet on Sailaway night. When we were on the Coral, they made a big deal about a seafood lunch buffet but it was pretty gross with heavily breaded shrimp and lots of salmon in various forms.

[shofer]

That's quite an adventure you had with your passports. Before I travel anywhere, I always have a nightmare that I forgot my ticket and passport. I am so paranoid that I must check my purse at least three times in the taxi to the airport. Glad you had a great cruise. I'll be cruising the Grand on March 29. I have never been on a ship that had more than 1,200 pax. Should be interesting.

 

This was the biggest ship we have ever been on but I have to admit it was only on Sailaway that I felt it was very crowded. Since we mostly stayed on the ship, it felt quite "personal" during those times. But, as for the layout, I much prefer the Coral. Lack of a center staircase is a major design flaw, IMHO, especially since we always get amidships cabins.

 

Tendering off in Princess Cays was organized and handled very well as was disembarkation. No complaints here about that.

[caribill]

Lack of a center staircase is a major design flaw, IMHO, especially since we always get amidships cabins.

 

A flaw that was corrected on its "sisters", the Golden and the Star.

[hightownCO]

shofer, enjoyed reading your review! Can only imagine that sinking feeling when you realized you didn't have passports. So glad everything worked out!

 

How were the beds on the Grand? Just wondering if the mattresses had been changed out.

 

We're sailing in a little less than 4 weeks!

[silvercruiser]

How did you get through security at O'Hare without passports? Didn't you realize at that time that you'd left them at home?

[shofer]

How were the beds on the Grand? Just wondering if the mattresses had been changed out.

 

We're sailing in a little less than 4 weeks!

 

The beds were not as firm as on the Coral which we sailed on a year ago, but they were comfortable w/o an eggcrate. I would not think they were brand new, but we did see them bringing on new mattresses in Ochos Rios so this may be an ongoing thing.

[shofer]

How did you get through security at O'Hare without passports? Didn't you realize at that time that you'd left them at home?

 

We only had to show our driver's licenses as we were flying to FT Lauderdale, not a foreign country. I almost left my coat at security since we were so anxious to get to our gate as we were cutting it close as it was. The weather was so horrible the previous 24 hrs, it consumed all of our thoughts.

 

You can bet we won't forget them again!

[JandD Mom]

DH and I saw your review over the weekend and loved it!

 

I have to admit though, I have been paranoid ever since that I will forget our passports for our March Sailing!

[shofer]

DH and I saw your review over the weekend and loved it!

 

I have to admit though, I have been paranoid ever since that I will forget our passports for our March Sailing!

 

 

Thank you for your kind words. If I can prevent even one person going through what we did, then I'm glad I wrote up our story. Have a great time. So sorry ours is over already!

[pretenda]

That was a great review, I really enjoyed reading. And so pleased it all turned out so well in the end.

Glenda

[shofer]

Glad that you enjoyed it. We really did have a nice time once we actually got on the ship! I felt quite badly after putting our kids through so much anxiety pre-cruise. I am sure they will never let us live it down!

[jules79]

Thanks for the review....I'm going on the grand april 5th

[JandD Mom]

Glad that you enjoyed it. We really did have a nice time once we actually got on the ship! I felt quite badly after putting our kids through so much anxiety pre-cruise. I am sure they will never let us live it down!

 

A similar thing happened to me once. In 2000 (17 months pre-9/11) I was denied boarding by American Airlines for my flight to Grand Cayman because my passport had recently expired. The thing is, I knew it expired, but at the time, it was accepted by Cayman and US authorities as valid proof of citizenship. We left the airport, the rest of our extended family left for GCM, and we went home to do conference calls with AA and Cayman immigration.

 

Turns out (no suprise) I was right, AA was wrong, and we got out later in the day (did not arrive until the next day).

 

However, I will NEVER let my passport expire again (you can't now, post-911 anyway) and I will not forget it. I will also NEVER live it down.

 

I got no compensation from AA and, true to my word to them, I have not flown them since. I laugh every time I pass one of their jets on a runway thinking about how much money I have spent on other airlines since.:D

 

Anyway, I did not mean to hi-jack your thread, but my point is I know exactly how you felt. I am so happy you made your trip!

[Sea and Me]

DH and I saw your review over the weekend and loved it!

 

I have to admit though, I have been paranoid ever since that I will forget our passports for our March Sailing!

 

Our TA gave us a leather type pouch which is where I put all the documents. One one side is all the info for the ship, other airlines, the spaces in front of airlines I put the passports. All the documents are in one place. The pouch fits nicely in my purse. I check and recheck several times before we leave the house for the airport. I know it sounds a little obsessive but it works for me.

[Sea and Me]

DH and I saw your review over the weekend and loved it!

 

double post sorry